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Seton Hall upended JayVaughn Pinkston and Villanova in the Big East quarterfinals on Thursday, in the process likely costing the Wildcats a shot a No. 1 seed in the NCAA's field of 68.
(AP Photo | Seth Wenig)

Villanova really could have made this easy. A team with such a high floor and a good strength of schedule could have claimed the last of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA's 68-team tournament with a good showing in the Big East tournament.

Well, losing to Seton Hall in the quarterfinals is not a good showing.

And so that throws things into flux — assuming, of course, that Arizona, Florida and Wichita State will occupy three of the spots on the top line.

So, with the Wildcats leaving the Big East tournament earlier than expected, here are the four realistic outcomes that could decide the last of the No. 1s.

ACC winner: While Virginia (and its 3-4 record against the top 50) theoretically could be in play here, it's much more likely that a Duke or Syracuse team that runs the table in Greensboro would seize the final No. 1 spot.

The third-seeded Blue Devils have the strength of schedule advantage, while Syracuse is an imposing 15-2 against the top 100 in the RPI. The Orange also has ghastly losses to Boston College and Georgia Tech, though the latter came without Jerami Grant in the lineup.

Consider Saturday a No. 1 seed eliminator if Duke and Syracuse meet. But winning isn't a guarantee of landing a top seed, either.

Big Ten winner: If the Big Ten champion is either Michigan or Wisconsin, it might be the best option to fill the final No. 1 seed.

Both teams have played top-10 schedules. Both would have impressive records away from home if they win three games in Indianapolis (Michigan would be 13-5, Wisconsin would be 14-3). Both have only one truly random loss (Michigan against Charlotte, Wisconsin at home against Northwestern).

Michigan is 8-5 against the top 50, a figure that would improve with a conference title. Wisconsin's 7-3 mark against the same group would also get better with a three-day run. Wisconsin's profile is a bit better, and it frankly should get the nod if it wins out.

Kansas: Joel Embiid's injury makes this a lot less likely than if he was healthy. But if the Jayhawks (with the nation's No. 1 schedule and a 12-7 mark against the top 50, can plow through the Big 12 tournament, they would have to be in the conversation .

It would be tough, though, for the Jayhawks to surpass a Michigan or Wisconsin Big Ten champion, since it's anyone's guess when and if Embiid really does return.

Villanova: There's always the trainwreck scenario where Duke, Michigan, Syracuse and Wisconsin are all dumped early in their respective conference tournaments and there's a de facto reset to the conditions at the start of the week. More than likely, though, the Wildcats will sit on the No. 2 line come Sunday.